Blimey, You're TwentyOne Already!
by allee-she-sha
Summary: It's Noodle's birthday and she has a special request. What on earth is 2D going to do?
1. Jewelry Making

**Hey everybody. Sorry if this doesn't seem very in character, but I don't really think 2D's as simpleminded as we believe. Enjoy! This is not a oneshot. **

**Disclaimer. **

I leaned back in my kitchen chair and squinted at the project in front of me. Beads and wire were strewn about and I was quickly growing frustrated. Matter of fact, I was getting ready to throw the entire bleeding thing out the window. Noodle's birthday was in three days and I was ever so diligently working on my present for her. It kind of had to be spectacular, with me being her boyfriend and all. I tried threading the skinny wire through the tiny bead again but my hand slipped. Fuck. I grunted and tossed my attempt at jewelry making on the table, choosing to cross my arms and stare out the porthole window angrily instead.

The last few months have been wonderful to me. Me and Noodle have finally realized our long-speculated about feelings and had done something about it. On the beach. On the floor. Against the wall. I still smirk whenever I think about it. Having Noodle as a girlfriend turned out to be one of the best things that had ever happened me, it even topped the day I pressed a key on one of my dad's keyboards and realized I could make sounds. She seems to be the only one who gets me sometimes and is definitely the only one who tolerates me for more than a few hours. She was having such a good impact on just about every aspect of my life. Every. Single. Aspect. Yep, you know what I mean. Not that every single fucking moment with her wasn't the best I could remember, but the sex was pretty damn good. And her birthday was on Tuesday. It was up to me, the self-proclaimed best boyfriend ever, to get the perfect gift. And up until this point, I wasn't doing so great.

Get this, my original idea was to write her a song. Should be easy right? I'm a freakin' musician! No. Writing a song for a crowd of people is a heck of a lot easier than writing one for one single person. That idea was scrapped after two hours and the only thing I could find to rhyme with Noodle was "oodle". There's only so many times I can use that in a song without sounding like a swotty nancy boy. In my despair, I went out to the beach to clear my head. You've seen the beach, yeah? It's basically just a load of garbage floating out in the middle of the sea. I'm pretty sure I could've designed the thing in my waste bin. Anyway, I was staring at the ground, wondering what all my years of musical training meant if I couldn't write a song, when I saw a piece of glass sticking up out of the ground. Granted, there's a lot of glass 'round here, most of it belongs to Murdoc, but this one was different. It was the very shade of green that I got to look into every time I went in for a kiss. I stared at it for a moment, trying to think of what I could do with it when it hit me. Bracelet. Girls like jewelry and stuff like that, right? I scooped it up with what I'm sure was the stupidest grin I've ever worn and ran back to the house.

My new plan was to make beads out of the pretty glass and string them all together on a wire. And that was going pretty well, the beads were (relatively) symmetrical and I even was able to bore holes in them, I had the calluses on my hand to account for that. It was just this bloody stringing business that had me stumped. I don't know whether it was my lack of sleep or the fact that I was probably trippin' on some serious medication, but the damn beads would not stay on the bloody string! I rubbed my forehead in annoyance and exhaustion. When was the last time I slept? Eh, can't remember.

I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. They weren't the clomping, slightly drunk stagger of Murdoc and Russel was still outside, yeh know, being huge and all. The light footsteps had to belong to Noodle. I glanced down at my project in a panic. She wasn't allowed to see this yet! I waved my hands around and mouthed some probably unnecessary profanity in my silent freakout but managed to pull myself together to swipe the bracelet into my pocket before she appeared. I tried my best to act casual. She looked really cute in the morning. Most girls don't have that ability, their hair is all over the place or they have makeup smeared everywhere, not my girl. No, she looked every bit as damn perfect as when I left her last night. I mentally smacked myself. Stuart, do not make this more awkward than it has to be.

"'Ey love." It always amazed me how stupid I could sound when I spoke. Stupid Cockney accent… least it brought the girls round. Noodle smiled at me sleepily and went to the kitchen for some breakfast. I tilted my head and watched her backside as she moved around the kitchen. Yep, I was a letch. Heh, guilty as charged. I fumbled in my nearby pack of cigarettes and pulled one out. I stuck the cigarette in my mouth and lit it expertly. I took a drag grinned at Noodle as she sat down beside me. Instead of eating, she slumped and put her head down on the table. I straightened up. What was wrong with her? Oh God, three months as my girlfriend and I've already killed her! I touched her shoulder hesitantly and she groaned. I sighed in relief.

"Wos wrong, love?" Noodle picked her head up and glared at me.

"I'm tired, what do you think?"

"Why are yeh up then?"

"Because it's noon…?" She said this like it made a difference, which it didn't, but hey. To each their own.

"Up awl night?"

"Couldn't sleep. I was too nervous."

"'Bout wot?"

"My birthday. I'm going to be twenty-one. I'm not a kid anymore." I cracked a grin. Yeah, I was glad she wasn't technically a kid anymore, it meant that I didn't have to feel like Hugh Hefner anymore.

"Wull, bein' twenty one isn't s'bad. Hell, I remember that twenty one was prolly the best time ah me life." She shot a skeptical glance at me before starting on her cereal.

"Do you even remember your twenties? Aren't they kind of a drunken haze?" I shut my mouth. True, I had spent the better part of my twenties either in a bar or beside the toilet recovering from my times in a bar. I reached over and stole a few marshmallows from her bowl, earning me a swat on the back of my hand.

"Wull we dun' 'afta get slobberin' drunk on yeh'r twenty first. We can… ok, I dunno wot we'll do, but ih's yew'r night, we'll do wotever yew want." She didn't look appeased.

"I guess… the drunk part wasn't what I was worried about." Uh oh. I recognized that look. The set jaw and eyebrows meant she was considering something drastic… and potentially harmful to my well being. I got the same look when she wanted to try some LSD with me. It was fun while it lasted, but it had been a nightmare trying to keep her away from Russel and Murdoc. God, I was such a bad influence.

"Ok… wot 'as yeh'r mind, love?" She looked up at me with the green eyes that were omnipresent in my every dream. You like that word, omnipresent? I found it on the Word of the Day calendar that Noodle bought me as a joke.

"I'm just a bit concerned about… the location." I raised an eyebrow. We lived on an island, what was she expecting? The party was either going to happen in the living room or on the beach if we were feeling frisky. There weren't actually that many places to have a raging party of four… five of you counted the repairman, which we didn't. I tried to keep my voice level.

"Where exactly were yew plannin' on 'avin 'is party?" She took a deep breath and smiled.

"I want to have it on the mainland."

I'm fairly certain my jaw dropped in surprise. Who did she think she was kidding? There was no way Muds was going to let us off of the island, well, mostly me, but still.

"Okay… and 'ow're yeh going to convince Muds of this plan, eh?" Noodle's smile faltered and I felt a little bad.

"Well… I was going to talk to him about it, maybe use my best puppy dog face," Don't laugh, it works. I've seen it many times. "And then I was hoping…" She directed one of her famous puppy dog faces at me. I felt my stomach drop. Something bad was headed my way. "Maybe you could talk to him too? It would mean so much to me." I nearly laughed. Like she thought she could win me over like that. What was she on? Ok, she could look away aaaaaaany time now. Really, I'm not that much of a pushover. Yeah, she looked pretty pitiful with her big eyes and her little pouty mouth and… dammit.

I threw my hands up in surrender.

"Okay, I'll talk to 'im. But yew better be 'round afterwards to clean me up when 'e's finished beatin' me to a pulp." I pointed my finger sternly at her. Sometimes, I really hated how she had me wrapped around her little finger like that. She threw her arms around me and pulled me in for a big kiss. My hand went up to wind in her hair and pull her closer, smiling as she grabbed my shoulders.

Maybe wrapped around her little finger wasn't such a bad place to be.

**Thanks for reading, my dears! Perhaps a review now?**


	2. Line Me Up For A Bullet

**So… this is what I do when I'm avoiding homework. Ah well, it's almost graduation time anyway. Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer.**

Once Noodle and I had extricated ourselves from the other, she pushed me towards the lift with strict instructions to "go talk to him". "Him" being Murdoc of course. Dammit. It's the pretty ones who'll make you suffer, all you blokes out there. Oh well, if that's what she wanted, she was going to get it. I punched the button to Murdoc's study and ergo, his not-so-secret-secret-room. The thing's got some bloody thousand steps or so leading down to it. I told him he should install a railing for people to slide down so they could get to the bottom quicker. He told me to go drown myself in the ocean. So it goes, I guess. I pressed the special book to open the bookcase and with a sigh, started down the stairs. He usually hears someone coming down 'round the three to four hundred step mark, so he yelled up to see who had the nerve to come down to his room.

"Who the bloody hell is there?" Who did he think it was, the pizza man? For Christ's sake, we live on an island people!

"Naw, ih's 2D." A silence and then more yelling was heard.

"Wull, go away jist the same, dullard!" I rubbed my head in annoyance. His constant yelling was starting to give me a headache. I reached the door to his secret room and casually strolled in, still rubbing my forehead.

"What are yeh doin' in 'ere, Muds? Someone would fink yeh'r wanking off or somefin." Murdoc's face turned that scary shade of red that occurs right before I get the shit beat out of me, so I knew I went too far. His hands went for my throat and I put my hands up in front of myself. "Murdoc- Muds, remembah wot Noodle said!" His building snarl choked off and he froze with his hands inches from my windpipe. Noodle had made a deal with the bassist that if he didn't hit me anymore, she wouldn't break anymore of his personal belongings. I also had to apologize for whatever I had done to make him angry. He spoke in a low voice with fury bubbling below the surface.

"Fine. But you remember yeh'r part as well." He pointed his finger menacingly at me. I heaved a sigh. This was a hard bargain to deal with, for both of us.

"I'm sorry, Murdoc… fer," I searched for something to apologize for, "fer insinuating that yew were a wanker." Murdoc held his breath for ten seconds and worked to remove his hands and put them at his sides.

"Wos there something yeh wanted to tell me, or did yeh jist come to be a bother, faceache?" I stuck my hands in my pockets.

"Noodle wants to have a birthday party." Murdoc turned back around to his work, whatever it was.

"I know. She told me that already."

"She wants to have it… somewhere special."

"Wull, make it 'appen, then. Wotever she wants. By the way," he turned to face me, "'Ave yeh figured out wot yeh're gonna give 'er?" I nodded.

"I'm makin' 'er a bracelet outta sea glass. And I dunno if yeh'll like where she wonts to 'ave 'er party." Murdoc turned back around with, muttering to himself.

"Bracelet, that's good… dammit. Eh? Wull, where does she wont to 'ave 'is l'il shindig? And who is she awl inviting?"

"I dunno how many she 'as in mind…"

"Fookin' geh on with it, Two Dents! Where does she wont 'er party?" I closed my eyes and hung my head. He wasn't going to like this.

"She wonts… teh go to the mainland fer 'er twenty first." There was no sound from where Murdoc stood. I chanced opening an eye, checking to see that he hadn't fallen over or something. He stood with a stoic expression for a few seconds before roaring in laughter.

"I gotta say, faceache, some ah yeh li'l plans to get off this island 'ave been pretty sorry, buh this one tops 'em all, I'm afraid." I sighed.

"This isn't my plan, Muds. She really wonts this. 'Onest." I held up my hand to show how honest I was. The sodding git still didn't believe me.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that's wot she wonts… especially since yeh've been beggin' 'er about it. Am I right, dullard?"

"Wull, fink about ih Muds. She 'asn't been off this island since she got 'ere and that was, wot? Three and a half months ago? Four? I bet she's dyin' for a li'l human contact. Ih means so much to 'er. Bet yeh'd win 'Surrogate Uncle of the Year' award." Murdoc turned around and placed his palms on the table, staring hard down at the surface.

"Yeh sure _she_ said she wonted this? Yeh'r not jist makin' ih up?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Yeh really fink I could've come up wiv somefin like 'at?" Murdoc smirked and turned to face me once more.

"Awright, fine. I'll talk teh 'er about it and I'll… see if I can't come up with somethin', yeah?" He slouched past me and clapped his hand on my shoulder. A bit too hard in my opinion, had me stepping back to catch myself.

"Matter a fact, why don't you _and _me go talk to 'er right now? Just to make sure yeh haven't been planting these crazy ideas in 'er head." I rolled my eyes again but allowed myself to be pushed back up the stairs to the study. We were both surprised to see Noodle sitting in Murdoc's desk chair looking at us expectantly. I waved cheerily.

"'Ello love." I heard Murdoc snort behind me. Noodle got up and came around the desk to take my hand.

"So, Noodle-doll… the dullard said somethin' about you wonting to 'ave yeh'r party on the mainland. Is that so?" Noodle's face lit up and she beamed at me, thrilled that I had spoken to him. I don't know what it is about that girl, but just her smile can leave me breathless.

"Yes, Murdoc-san. I like you're little island here, but I was wondering if maybe we could get some time away… like a vacation!" She added on the end, hoping to appeal to his alcoholic side. Vacation meant a drinking free for all. And because it would be on the mainland, he could go to any bar he wished and drink to his heart's content and his liver's limit. Murdoc looked less than thrilled that this really was what Noodle had wanted, but he was considering it all the same.

"'Oo's awl goin' to yeh'r li'l party, then?"

"Just you, me, 2D and hopefully Russel." The bassist nodded, stroking his chin in thought.

"Weeeell…" Murdoc trailed off. I nudged Noodle and she quickly grinned, getting my message immediately.

"Please, Murdoc-san? It would make my party so special." She threw in her pitiful face for good measure. Murdoc's expression changed in an instant, he was clearly as much Noodle's bitch as I was. There were perks to being the only female in an all-male group.

"Awwl right, fine. But, yeh 'afta keep Two Dents there with yeh at awl times, can't 'ave him gettin' loose." I frowned, figures he'd talk about me like I was a badly behaved animal when I was even in the room. He was a lousy bassist, anyway.

"Yay! Thank you so much, Murdoc! When can we go?" Murdoc was pushed back a bit by her hug but accepted it just the same.

"We can go th' day after tomorrow. My liquor should hold out until then. Blimey…" He walked away from us, back to his secret staircase and descended, leaving the two of us grinning like fools. She took my hands and bounced on her toes.

"I'm so excited, 2D! Think of all we could do!" I was happy for her, she got to do what I never could. With a few words and a sorrowful expression, she got permission to leave this hellhole, of only for a while. And I got to go with her. Which was, yeh know, a perk, but not as good as seeing the way that smile poured light into the room.

That night we were sprawled over the couch. My leg was up on the ottoman and my arm was spread across the back of the couch. With a beer in my hand and my girlfriend cuddled up in my side, life was good. We were watching an old black and white movie in which the lead was running for her life from an army of highly trained squid giants. Hey, it's hard to get good cable channels on an island. Noodle reached for my beer and I pulled it away.

"'Ey now, love. As I recall, yeh're still not of age. Isn't the drinkin' age in Japan twenty-one?" Noodle snorted and grabbed my beer, eager for a taste.

"Actually, it's twenty. But since when have we paid attention to any drinking laws?" I smiled down at her, she was a pistol alright.

"So… what did yew 'ave in mind fer yeh'r big day?" She handed me back my beer and I took a swig. She snuggled closer to my side and grabbed my hand off the back of the couch to twine with hers.

"I was thinking… we could go to a club… and we could dance… and you could buy me a drink or two."

"Is that so? Yew don't wanna do anyfin' else?" Noodle looked up confused.

"What did _you _have in mind?"

"Wull, if I got a day outside of this prison, I'd do everything. I'd go to the zoo and to the mall and to the top of Mount Everest!" Noodle giggled.

"If I remember correctly, we're spending my birthday in Rio, nowhere near Mount Everest."

"Ooh, Rio. Am I gonna get to see yew in one of those outfits wiv awl the feathers?" I leered at her. She grinned back and moved her head to my lap. She reached up and touched my cheek.

"… maybe." I leaned down to meet her halfway and our lips touched. The sensation of our lips moving together always blew my mind and made me remember that I was probably the luckiest bloke on the face of the earth. The onscreen characters were currently getting devoured by the squid giants, but we didn't care. Actually, the ocean could've been swirling into a massive vortex and we never would've noticed.

Murdoc came slouching down the hallway and saw us on the sofa. He grimaced and walked past to the fridge. He grabbed a beer and stood in the living room again. He stood and sipped his beer for a moment, us completely unaware, before he took a gulp of air and belched as loud as he could. Noodle sat up so fast, she and I knocked heads. We were both rubbing our heads as we looked around to Murdoc's cackling retreating figure. She settled back beside me and sighed.

"The sooner we get to the mainland, the better." I grunted in agreement and she got up to go to bed. I looked over the back of the couch with my best imitation of her puppy dog face until she swooped back to peck me on the lips with a smile. After she had left, I settled back. Something was poking me in my hip. I dug in my pocket. Oh yeah, that stupid bracelet! The wire was slightly bent, but if I got it straightened out, it should be right as rain. I set my beer on the table next to the couch and flipped on the table lamp. The shade was missing and the bulb was about to go out, yeah, you could pretty much tell we lived here. I fiddled wit it for a moment, twisting it this way and that until…

My hand slipped and all the heads slid off the side. I groaned in frustration and laid my head against the back of the sofa. What on earth was I going to get Noodle for her birthday?

**Please notice my attempt to keep the profanity to a minimum this chapter. I apologize if this offended anyone in my last update. Review!**


	3. Arrival

**Another chapter! Woooooo! …That's all. Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer**

I was leaning against my lone suitcase by the door of the main building, looking at my watch. I was already packed and waiting on my bandmates. Russel would not be accompanying us because we still hadn't found a way to make him normal sized again. We guessed that it would just take some time for him to work the pollution out of his system… er, whatever that took. I heard the lift clatter about and when the doors opened, Noodle stepped out holding two suitcases. I wrapped an arm around her and kissed her on her forehead, pulling her bags out of the lift for her. I grinned down at her when she was leaning against the wall with me.

"One minute and twenty three seconds, love. 'At's not bad at'all." We had been having a competition to see how fast she could get packed and downstairs. Her ninja skills were improving if that were at all possible.

"Excellent, where's Murdoc?" I shrugged.

"Prolly gettin' the last of his fings packed, he always did pack like a female. E's been packin' fer 'ours." As if on cue, Murdoc came down in the lift as well. He swaggered around and made for the door.

"Well, come on, you lot. We 'aven't got awl day, 'ave we?" I looked at Noodle and sighed, picking up one of her bags along with my own and following our crabby bassist.

A few minutes later, we all stood on the edge of the pier… waiting. I've always thought that Murdoc was slightly off his rocker, but when the… thing that was coming to take us to the mainland arrived, I knew he'd seriously gone off the deep end. A round submarine lifted from the depths of the ocean and bobbed ominously in front of us. Noodle squealed in delight at the same time that I spoke.

"Yew 'ave gotta be kiddin' me." Murdoc stood on the pier, proudly surveying his vessel like a parent at a science fair. Bastard probably MADE the sub at a science fair. If we were going to be traveling under the water… that blasted whale would be watching our every move. This may sound silly to you, but I know for a fact that whales are cold-blooded killers. I've heard tales where whales swallow men right off of their boats and make 'em live in their mouths. Can you imagine that, being eaten by a whale? Nasty business, mate. Whales are trouble. Murdoc started hauling our luggage off the pier and threw it haphazardly in the main cab of the sub. I heard the crash of my favorite keyboard hitting the solid floor and winced. Ah well, poor thing's seen worse. Noodle grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the floating monster. I turned around and mouthed a goodbye to Russel, who was sitting on the beach, waiting to see us off. He chuckled and waved. Bugger.

Murdoc followed me into the cab and closed the hatch with a sickening pneumatic hiss. That was the sound of all the air going out of my lungs. Farewell, my friends. I will never sing again for I have been killed at sea by a madman and a birthday girl.

Noodle shook me out of my melodramatic state and chuckled as I shook my head to clear it. She knows my problems. She must have felt my discomfort. I edged towards the window, holding my breath. I was downright terrified of what I might see outside of the glass. Then again, it might be worse if I couldn't see the whale. That would mean he was lurking around unseen in the water. I took several deep breaths as I was jammed against the wall next to the porthole. I counted off to three in my head and chanced a look. I yelped at the giant eye staring back at me, hurling myself to the middle of the pod. I cowered with my head in my hands and I'm pretty sure I was shaking. Whales can't chomp through metal, can they? Of course, terrifying as they are, they might be able to. One should need underestimate the destructive nature of a whale. Once you turn your back on one, you lose a leg. I felt a hand slide up my back and rest on my shoulder. A presence knelt down beside me and whispered in my ear.

"Just ignore the whale, Toochi." I'm not going to lie to you, I would willingly walk over hot coals if she asked and called me Toochi. I slowly stood up and, trying very hard not to look out the window, followed Noodle to the small bed that stood against the wall. The last time I was in this sub, we were just getting to Plastic Beach. The android Noodle was my only company, save the angry bassist. I preferred the current occupant to the creepy metal one. Murdoc sat at the captain's chair and pulled a ridiculous hat over his head. He turned back to look at us.

"Buckle up, beauties. We've got a bumpy ride ahead." He ended with a vicious smirk. I felt myself go pale. Please, dear God, let him drive a sub better than he drives a car.

…

I gripped the edge of the door frame and pulled myself out shakily. Land, sweet land. I dropped to the ground as soon as my foot wasn't wobbling around on the wave-tossed metal. My hands gripped the side of the dock and I leaned forward to let my forehead touch the ground. I breathed in the woody scent of the pier. Murdoc and Noodle strolled by me.

"Yeesh, dullard. Lighten up, yeh're givin' me a 'eadache." I sneered at him. Stupid sodding bassist. He's the reason I get these panic attacks. Noodle bent down and put her hands on my back and arm carefully. She pulled me up and wound her arm through mine. Murdoc was currently yelling at a cabbie that was unfortunate enough to stop for the green man. We dragged out suitcases towards the pair and waited on the curb until they finished their conversation. Hmm. I didn't know Murdoc knew Portuguese. The cabbie made a snide sounding remark and Noodle laughed. Didn't know she knew Portuguese either. I was behind. Then again, compared to Noodle, I was behind in almost everything. Well, aside from keyboards. She knows about five languages, now six, counting Portuguese, and reads those deep philosophical novels that reflect on the whole of humanity or some shit like that. We never bothered putting her in school, she seemed to know everything she needed to. Whenever one of us had a question, she usually had the answer. Crazy Japanese ninja-warrior training. She puts three grown men in their place on an almost daily basis.

Finally, the cabbie seemed to agree and got out and started hoisting our bags into the back of his car. Murdoc insisted o taking the passenger seat, leaving the entire backseat for Noodle and I. It wasn't the fanciest cab we had ever been in, but it also wasn't the worst. I was able to stretch my legs out slightly in front on me. You know that terrible feeling you get when your legs are all crushed up in front of you? Try having that all the time in every car and backseat you ride in. I don't even know why I'm so tall. Both of my parents are pretty short, must've been some genetic mutation that I'm so tall. I slung my arm around Noodle's shoulders and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Excited yet?" She turned and grinned at me.

"Only a lot." I grinned back at her and faced the back of Murdoc's greasy head. Tonight was going to be fun. I gazed out the window as the scenery started moving. Squat buildings were rushing by along with an enormous amount of people. There were dogs running and children running after them… and frazzled parents running after them. Seemed like a lively place. I looked over and Noodle was watching too. Murdoc didn't seem to notice the dynamic city, or he just didn't care. He was more content to argue with the cabbie. I felt like that was an unwise decision to argue with the person who was driving a half-ton of metal guarding your life. I tried not to add to the noise and kept my mouth shut, for the safety of all.

We were going to be celebrating Noodle's birthday tonight in one of Rio's best clubs, the Flor del Rio. I had no idea what it meant but Noodle seemed to, seeing as she picked it out. Murdoc had the cabbie drop us off at a small bar and restaurant in the nicer part of town. He yelled at the cabbie for a few more minutes as we got out but from what Noodle translated in my ear, he was arranging our bags to be dropped off at the hotel. When the cabbie had driven off, Murdoc stomped into he restaurant. I guessed he wanted us to follow. The bloke has never been the best at using his words. The restaurant was a dim sort of place, kind of like a strip club but there weren't any strippers. Damn. Murdoc made a beeline to the bar, leaving Noodle and I to fend for ourselves. As he walked away, Mrsoc shouted back to us.

"Not too long here, alright? We'll meet back at the doors in an hour and then we can go to the club."

"Where are you going?" Noodle shouted back. Patrons were looking around for the source of the light English voice.

"To get shit-faced ah course!" I shook my head and took her hand. I stepped up to the hostess.

"A table for two, please? Wiv a window if yeh got ih." The dark haired woman stared blankly at me. Oh right… I forgot that I was linguistically disadvantaged here. Noodle stepped up and clarified. At least, I think so. She could have been ordering me to be dragged away by Brazilian mobsters for all the sense it made to me. The smiling woman led us to a booth in the back, not at all what I asked for but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

"Wot'r yew gonna get?" I asked once we had sat down. I wasn't used to the two of us sitting on opposite sides of a table, usually we sat next to each other. She glanced over the menu. I couldn't read most of it, but it looked shady at best. I ran my eyes over the selections until I came to a word I recognized.

Pollo. Chicken!

"I think… I'm going to get the-" She rattled off a dish I didn't recognize and couldn't pronounce if I did.

"Sounds great!" Total lie. The waitress came by to take our orders. I watched the way Noodle's mouth moved as she told the waitress what we would have in fluid Portuguese. I couldn't follow what she was saying but I liked the way she said it. Her lips seemed to caress the words before she spoke. I wish I had that kind of skill. Suddenly, she was snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"-D! I ordered you a beer. I hope that's alright."

"Oh. S'fine darlin'." She twirled her napkin for a moment before speaking.

"Did you notice that waitress was flirting with you outrageously?" That surprised me. Not that she was flirting, not to sound like a rock star or anything, but birds flirted with me all the time. What surprised me was that I hadn't noticed. I was too focused on Noodle for that to even register. I grinned crookedly at her.

"Not really, no. Sorry, love." She smiled. Soon after, our meals came. I still wasn't sure what the heck she ordered, it looked like some sort of soup, but she seemed to enjoy it. My chicken… thing tasted kind of off, but for whatever it was, it could have tasted quite normal. I had my fork halfway to my mouth when Murdoc came rushing in from the bar. He looked around with a panicked expression until he saw us in the back. He came tromping over and was breathing quite heavily.

"We need teh leave. Like, now." He glanced over his shoulder uneasily as we got up. We had learned long ago never to question Murdoc when he got like this. Either he had seriously pissed off a boyfriend or he was now so deep in debt, his collectors were after blood. I threw a bill on the table and followed closely behind Murdoc and Noodle as we left. He quickly hailed a taxi and once we were safely inside one, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Wot 'appened, mate?"

"I er… got into a spot ah trouble on the billiards table, no big deal. We're just gonna chill out at the hotel fer awhile before we geh to the club, alright?" I rolled my eyes. The only time he ever said something was 'no big deal' was when it was a very big deal indeed. He addressed the cabbie next.

"To the Hotel de Rio, please." I sat back in my plush seat, fingers intertwined with Noodle's as the large hotel loomed in the distance.

**The fun is only beginning, my pretties. Spring break is coming up, so I will have lots of time to write and create devious ways of getting you folks to review. Muahaha! Review!**


	4. The Surprise

**So many words! Ha ha it took me a while to figure out exactly where I was going with this. Enjoy!**

The hotel was a lovely place. It even had a little fountain with little bitty fishes in it. They sort of reminded me of the fish that swam by my window… until the whale got them. I looked away when Murdoc yelled rather rudely for me to, 'get my arse in the lift'. No respect.

Noodle and I were to be sharing a room, a fact I was probably more excited about than I should have been. When we walked in, Noodle swung her bag on the double bed and unzipped the side.

"This is lucky, I wanted to try an outfit for going to this club. I ordered it special for my birthday." I raised an eyebrow. I liked any sentence with the words 'special outfit'. I was honestly excited about getting to parade her around as my girlfriend. It wasn't something I got to do everyday and certainly not something I had done in a very long time. Noodle commandeered the bathroom to change into her mysterious outfit while I took over the sofa near the telly. I flipped through the channels, not really watching anything in particular, damn language barrier. My stomach started to feel sort of strange. I grimaced slightly and shifted in the sofa, trying to get comfortable. The strange feeling was creeping northward. Uh oh. I knew this feeling and I didn't like it. Why did this have to come on Noodle's birthday? I started sweating though the room must have been about seventy degrees. My mouth felt very dry and raw. I stood up slowly trying to get to… I don't even know what my plan was. It certainly wasn't to vomit on the floor as soon as Noodle stepped out of the bathroom looking very fine indeed in her short black dress and low strappy heels. Such is life. I have to admit, some part of me, while I was heaving on the ground, noticed that she had put some makeup on and it suited her well not that she needed it, and don't ever insinuate that I said anything to the contrary, but she just looked different. I heard her sigh and felt her hands grip my arm and pull me up.

"You aren't going anywhere tonight. I'll stay here with you." I shook my head and tried to wave her off. If I was going to be here miserable, the least I could do was make sure she still enjoyed her birthday. And I was definitely going to be miserable. Figures I'd get sick from the ONLY thing I recognized on the menu.

"Naw, go out and party. I'll stay here, I promise. Jist, 'ave a good time, awright? It's yeh'r birthday!" She looked at me with a measured expression. She was trying to figure out what I wanted. I put on my best convincing face. "Really. Yew know yeh wont teh go. Jist be careful wiv Muds round, awright?" She still didn't look convinced. Murdoc came bursting in the room. He scrunched his nose at the smell of vomit.

"Ugh. I'll call the maid service. Yew lot ready yet?"

"2D's not allowed to go. He's ill."

"Apparently." I sneered at him. "Are yew still goin', doll?" She rubbed the back of her neck with her hand.

"I don't know…"

"Yeh really think the dullard's never had a hangover before? He'll be fine, love. Honest." She glanced at me and I nodded. I wanted her to enjoy herself.

"… Alright." I smiled and led her to the door. I planned on seeing them off before coming back to the room and collapsing. We passed a maid cart on the way to the lift. Murdoc tapped the maid's shoulder and spoke in her ear.

"Someone's gone and left a puddle of sick on the floor in that room. I'd clean it up before we report it to the manager." Noodle rolled her eyes as Murdoc laughed at the maid's panicked expression.

It seemed we were always waiting for a cab in this town. We stood near the front doors of the lobby near a group of shady looking youths. My stomach was rebelling again, I could feel it. One of the braver looking youths approached us. With his hands stuck in his pockets and a grin on his stupid face, he started chatting up Noodle. She didn't seem to notice him at first, but the more persistent he was, the more she opened up. I stood close to her and glared at the native Rio inhabitant, but he didn't notice or care. Luckily, he spoke English so I didn't have to wallow in my uncultured-ness. She slipped her hand into mine and I noticed her glance sideways at me with a small grin on her face. She knew what she was doing and how I was feeling. I just didn't like the gleam in that punk's eye. Stupid git. Probably only spoke English because that's what the drug dealers spoke. He laughed at her dry humor and causally asked her where she was going. She replied with the name of the club and I tried not to appear too annoyed by him. Sure, I figured that some guy would probably try to dance with her at the club, heck, if she got to enjoy herself, I endorsed it, but I didn't like how some guy was trying to move in right in front of me.

Stupid git.

Murdoc hailed a cab and herded Noodle inside, telling the driver the name of the club. He gave a half-salute to me as they drove off, glancing at the boy with a smirk. I nodded and waved to Noodle. I stuck my hands in my pockets as they drove away and I was left outside the lobby with the group of snotrag kids. The attempted girlfriend snatcher, I learned his name was Juan, swaggered back to his group of friends and started speaking to them in rapid English. Because of where I was standing, I only heard bits and pieces of their conversation.

"- del Rio. Let's go and chill with her." One of his companions shook his head.

"Naw, man. You want her so bad, you go get her. 'Sides, I think her boyfriend's staring at you." He haughtily looked around and waved to me by wiggling his fingers with a smug grin.

Stupid git.

The crowd took off in the direction of the club. I sighed and walked back into the lobby. I shuffled towards the elevator feeling very sorry for myself. My stomach had calmed for a moment, but my chest hurt because I didn't get to celebrate wit Noodle on her big day. In the lift, the only other occupant was a batty old woman with an oversized handbag. She grinned at me toothlessly and I grimaced in a poor attempt at a smile. She continued staring at me the entire way up. I hate people that do that. The gawkers. Now, granted, once you've had your face on a tabloid once or seven times, you tend to get them. But I sure as heck didn't have to like it. I gratefully edged out of the lift when we hit my floor. I unlocked the room and sat on the bed. Housekeeping had been in to clean so my pool of sick was no longer occupying the floor. I laid back on the bed and put my arms behind my head. Noodle would have been just getting to the club right now if Murdoc's scrap of an itinerary was of any value. I wondered if anybody had tried to pick her up yet. Hell, if I'd been in full capacity and unattached, I would have gone after her, no questions asked. Young thing like her? Too desirable for her own good. Or my mental well being. What if that Juan kid did show up like he said he would? Would he find her? The pain in my gut started again. It wasn't that I doubted our relationship meant something to her, I hoped it did. I just didn't like the idea of all those guys pressing up on my girlfriend. It's a guy thing, I guess. I pulled myself up. I could still go to the club. To check on her, I reasoned. Just to make sure she's alright. She is only twenty one after all. I hopped up to find some Pepto and dress accordingly, knowing all the while what shitty reasoning I had.

…

I stepped out of the cab some forty minutes later or so. I was feeling pretty lousy but I looked good. I had remembered to bring my nice jeans so I didn't have any holes in the knees and I was wearing my favorite shirt. I slipped a pair of sunglasses over my eyes, even though it was nighttime, and strolled into the club. Behind my slightly redundant sunglasses, I could look around the club without anyone noticing. I spied Murdoc, at the bar of course, and walked over to him. He currently had a shot glass in front of him but many more surrounding.

"Muds. Where did Noodle get off to?" Murdoc looked up blearily. He must've drank more than I thought at the restaurant, the tiny amount in front of him, and by tiny, I mean enough to drown a horse, did not usually make him look so incoherent.

"Siddown, mate… Lemme tell yeh a story." I raised an eyebrow and sat on the stool beside me. I ordered a beer from the attendant. "Noodle… she's such a nice girl, isn't she? 'Er… an' some bloke wen' whirlin' round the floor when I sat down. Now… tell me, if she can get a date, why can't I? I mean, she's got a boyfrien' an' everythin'! You should see 'im. 'E's a lovely bloke too, buh… e's not 'ere at the moment," He was so drunk, poor bugger. He didn't even recognize me, "An' yeh wanna know why? … Because 'e's a tosser and threw his stomach off some chicken… Tha's wot I 'eard." He was swaying slightly and he threw back another shot. I looked at the bottle. It looked like he was doing straight tequila. I sighed and pulled him off the stool and away from the bar. I had to get him away from here before he drowned himself. Look at me, I am such a good friend. Even when he's mean to me and pushes me around, here I am looking out for him.

"'Ere yeh go, mate. Go burn off awl tha' alcohol." I gave him a light push on the back and sent him on his way to the dance floor. Some bird immediately latched onto him and pulled him in to dance with her and her friends. Well, alright, I was more foisting him off on someone else, but at least he wasn't drinking. I began my search for Noodle. At my height, it's pretty easy to see above crowds. But, it turns rather difficult when the person you're looking for is under six feet and you're still feeling sort of woozy. I whipped my shades off to search for the purple head of hair I knew so well. Miraculously, a spot opened up on the floor and I spotted her. She and some guy, thankfully not the boy from the hotel, were dancing rather… well, it wasn't a sort of dancing I would let my mother see. I glanced back at Murdoc with his hands on some girl's hips and turned back. I took a deep breath and started towards them. Noodle twirled around once more before laughingly bidding the boy goodbye. He smiled and kissed her hand and walked away. Noodle ran her hand through her hair and grinned breathlessly. I walked to stand close to her. She was simply standing there, swaying to the music and not really noticing anything. I bent over and whispered in her ear, startling her.

"Wot's a pretty fing like yew doin' in a place like this?" She whirled and grinned at me.

"You… are supposed to be in bed. What are you doing out?" I shrugged. Her expression changed, twisting into a knowing smirk. She grabbed my hand and pulled me close. Her arms wound around my neck and my hands went to her waist. We danced like this for a while, feeling the beat and just casually swaying. I was surveying the crowd over her head and humming along to the music. Yeah, my stomach was still in knots, but I could deal with it like this.

If I hadn't already been so attuned to the sound of her voice, I might not have heard what she said next.

"He showed up, you know." I knew exactly who she was talking about though I played dumb. Yes, ha ha. Make all the jokes you want, I do know how to PLAY dumb.

"'Oo showed up, love?"

"Juan… he and his group of friends came asking to dance with me. Got kind of grabby too." My hand contracted involuntarily on her hip, making her giggle.

"Don't worry, Murdoc took good care of them." I relaxed. The DJ started up a good slow song so we didn't have to look strange slow dancing to Miike Snow's warbling. Dear God, please don't let me vomit.

**Review, my duckies!**


	5. Experimentation

**Well, greetings to you, dear reader. A few quick notes. No, I don't have a specific drug in mind (you'll understand when you get there) and to those who asked, yes, I will think about starting a wedding fiction. :) Have at it, beauties.**

**I am disclaiming. Ooh. **

Well, God… you let me down. I nearly did vomit. About halfway through the next song, my stomach started its evil plot against me. It started with my knees. One minute I had Noodle pressed up against me and we were dancing really nice and all, the next I'm fighting to stay standing. It was a neat sort of dancing too. The kind Noodle had once told me happens at prom when the chaperones aren't watching. I wouldn't know, I never went to prom, but she had one year… with a boy. What a nightmare that was. Anyway, all of a sudden, my knees seemed to give out underneath me. I had to grip her shoulder and she raised an eyebrow. I just sort of grimaced at her and she understood. She threw my arm around her shoulders and she led me to a table in the corner of the club. She pushed me down on the seat and stood over me with her hands on her hips.

"I knew you shouldn't be out. How bad is it? And don't you dare lie to me." I reached for her and wound my arms around her waist. I pulled her close and kissed her nose.

"I'm fine, 'onest. Righ' as rain." I was dimly aware that my speech was slightly slurred and I hadn't had anything to drink that night, save for my sip of beer. She crossed her arms and searched my face for any sign of weakness. She took my face in her hands and turned my head this way and that until she had her answer.

C'mon, we're going back to the hotel. You're going to sleep and that's it. Understand?" I ducked my head and pressed it to her stomach.

"Aw, but it's yeh'r birthday! I didn' even get to buy yew a drink yet. And yew're kinda cute. We could go mess around somewhere…" I grinned up at her with a dopey expression. Her face didn't change. I tried again. "We could do that thing yew told me yew like so much." I used my cutest singsong voice and raised my eyebrows suggestively. No change. Damn, the girl was immovable. "Oh, lay off Noodle. I'll be fine, jist need ta take it easy." She inclined her head towards me in a disbelieving expression.

"2D, you had to hang on to me to keep from falling over. You're not ok. Seriously, how much longer can you hold out like this?"

"I'm fine, really! I'll go buy yew a drink righ' now. Look, I'll even walk to the bar and grab yew somefing. Wot do yeh want, apple martini? Isn't that what yew usually make when we pretend to go for a walk and really sit up with Muds's alcohol?" She blushed but raised her eyebrow skeptically.

"2D, you don't have to do that. Let's just grab Murdoc and go." I heaved myself away from the table. My head started spinning and I nearly vomited, but I had to keep up appearances for the sake of Noodle's birthday. I would definitely win the prize for being the best boyfriend ever, even if I couldn't make a bloody bracelet. I rolled my eyes and tried to appear casual by leaning against the wall. In reality, if I didn't hang on, the floor was going to be my new best friend.

"Yeah yeah, martini?" She sighed and nodded.

"I have to see this." I winked at her, causing her to smile despite herself and I pushed away from the wall, hands in pockets.

"Keep it togever, Stuart. She's still wotchin'… keep it steady… aaaaand… NOW!" As soon as I was sure I was out of her sight, I dropped to the ground. Well, I more or less just fell to the ground. My perilous journey to the bar had just begun. Fearlessly, or with a small amount of fear, I pushed people's legs in a path to the glass-topped bar. I heard several gasps and a few curses as I managed to knock a few people off their footing and to generally offend the public. Eh, it happens. As long as I got to stay conscious. I balled my fist and sunk it into the fleshy calf of an overweight man in ridiculous pants when I neared the bar. He looked down and pulled me up. He grinned at me for a moment before speaking. What a creepy git.

"Yeh feelin' lousy, pal?" I grabbed my head.

"Bit, yeah." The man held up a blue bottle with a blacked out label.

"Take some of this, it'll put yeh back on yeh'r feet faster than a shot of God's very breath." My eyes flicked to his face. Was this a joke? Was this one of those stories you see on the news where the unsuspecting tourist gets drugged and pulled into an assassination plot? The man shook the bottle for effect. I was about to open my mouth to protest before a waitress walked by with some sort of sizzling beef dish. The smell attacked my nose and sent a battalion straight for my stomach. I nearly lost my entire stomach all over the man's shoes. Doubled over, I looked up.

"Yeah, yeah. Jist gimme wot yeh got. 'Ow much?" The man smiled and rolled out two pills and handed them to me. I dry swallowed them and stood up slowly.

"Anything for a friend in pain." He winked and walked away. I shrugged and pulled myself up and sprawled across the bar. The world had stopped spinning, but had started drifting. Everything seemed softer and more relaxed. Even the burly bouncers in the corner seemed jolly and friendly. What the hell was going on? The bartender was wiping a glass and raised his eyebrows at me. That was happening a lot to me tonight. I raised a finger.

"One apple martini, please." Another voice sounded beside me.

"And a glass of seltzer, no alcohol." I looked over and groaned as the bartender walked away. Noodle sat on the barstool, chin resting on her hand and tapping the counter impatiently with her nails. Her eyes had that 'you're such a dumbass Stuart Pot' look to them, a look I got often. "You're fine, huh?" I ran my hand through my hair. I hated when she proved me wrong.

"When… uh, when did yew figure it out?" A small grin lit up her face.

"As soon as you disappeared, a crowd of people kept looking down with disgust in the direction you were going. Thought I'd beat you here. And what the hell did that man give you?" I shrugged, earning me another Look. She opened her mouth but closed it, shaking her head. The barkeeper returned. Noodle took the martini and pushed the glass of seltzer towards me.

"Drink it slow." She said sternly. She threw back the martini with the grace of an experienced alcoholic. That was my fault. Heh, sorry universe. She sat and watched my calmly as I struggled to keep the liquid down.

"Now, what do I have to do to make you go home?" My vision was worse now, this bug was a feisty one. Multicolored lights hovered around the edges and the middle seemed to swim drunkenly. Oh my God, what did that bloke give me? I grinned crookedly at her.

"Don't 'afta say nofin, love. I'd go home wiv yew any day." She rolled her eyes.

"We're leaving." She hopped up and grabbed my wrist, pulling me off the stool. I stumbled around but her grip kept me steady.

"Wull, awright darlin'. If that's 'ow yew wanna play it." She turned.

"Seriously, 'D. Why are you here if you're so sick?" I sobered up for a minute.

"I jist want yeh'r special day teh be… yeh know, special. Yew're my girl." I shrugged. She sighed and looked down. I swayed on my feet. The lights were so pretty… all blue and green and pink. She looked back up and I watched the lights dance in her eyes. The noise around me kind of started to meld together into a trippy soundtrack. Damn. I should make this into a song. If I could get hold of an entire bottle of that crazy drug, me and that odd bloke could start a business and make a fortune. I watched her mouth move and her voice was adding to the song, but I couldn't quite pick out what she was saying. She turned and Murdoc seemed to float towards us. How strange! Why was Noodle the only one moving so fast? Everyone around us was slow and moving like the ocean… just chilled out. Noodle's movements were jerky and precise. She needed to learn to take it easy. I held up my hand to see how I was moving. I wiggled my fingers and it seemed like a dance, so graceful. Noodle grabbed my hand and pulled it down. A grin spread slowly across my face.

"Slow down, love. Yew're movin' too fast." Her face showed confusion and disbelief like she couldn't understand me. She whipped her head back to Murdoc and started whispering to him rapidly. His eyes got wide and flashed to my face. I waved merrily at him. I turned away and watched the lights play on people's skin. Some random girl smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back. Who could? Her skin was blue and purple. I looked down and marveled at the fact that I was still standing. Or was I floating? At least my stomach wasn't bothering me. I was vaguely aware of someone saying my name. I turned and saw Murdoc's mouth moving. I picked out the words "hotel" and "dullard". At least the lights made him look happier.

Soon after, I was floating out the door. I was flying so high, I would soon need a string to keep me tethered to the ground. Someone pushed my head down as we entered a bright yellow car. What was it called? A cat? A tab. I heard Murdoc tell the driver sternly to do something, but I couldn't pick out what exactly. Was it in Portuguese? No, I definitely heard some Swahili in there. Wait… when did I learn Swahili? What in God's name is Swahili? What's my name? To stop all of the mind-boggling questions, I found it was much more comfortable to just lay down in Noodle's lap to keep her from moving too fast. I played with the hem of her dress and kept trying to inch it up her leg. She swatted my hand and I rolled to look up at her.

"You are so high right now, don't even think of trying anything." I opened my mouth a few times before speaking.

"I let yew try plenty of stuff when we were trippin' on acid togever." Murdoc whipped his head around.

"… wot?" Noodle closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Nothing! He's just very… very loopy." Murdoc didn't look to be buying it. She glared at me but I didn't care. I was feeling on top of the world. I wondered how far away Mount Everest was. I felt like I could climb it in a day. It was a jittery sort of high, but a damn good high all the same. I wondered if Noodle would allow me to get some more of that fantastic little drug. Seems to me, having all this energy could work to her advantage as well. I settled back and let Noodle play with my hair, something she only did when she was very content. I was glad even my weird behavior wasn't ruining her birthday. I watched little dots float across the car ceiling. The dots looked kind of like little baby lightning bugs. I closed my eyes and followed them around my line of vision.

…what are lightning bugs?

**It's my birthday on the 29th! Happy birthday to me! Since you can't give meta plate of cookies for a present, perhaps a review instead? Lovely!**


	6. Coming Down

**Hey… yeah, sorry I kind of vanished for… a while. I haven't had time to breath lately with everything going on. Graduation is in a week… wow. Anyway, here's the last chapter to this thing here. I have a new story all planned out, everything's written, I just need to publish it. Enjoy this one and I apologize again… really…**

Disclaimer: Yep.

I couldn't tell if three minutes or weeks had passed by the time we got back to the hotel. My vision had slowly worsened… or improved, depending on whose point of view you took. I liked to think that hallucinogens helped you see past the fog the world created and let you see things the universe reserved for certain people. Though, to be honest, I don't know why the universe wanted me to see Murdoc hovering a few inches above the ground in a pink skirt. I'm just going to let this rest between us, and we never have to talk about it again.

My bandmates drug me into the lobby and waved merrily at the concerned night manager. One of them, Noodle I think, had me backed up against the wall of the lift to keep me upright. Suddenly, or so it seemed, I was lying face up on a bed of clouds. I looked around and saw a figure at the bottom of the bed. It seemed to be bent over, like it was doing something on the floor. The room was very dark and I couldn't see much, even with my trippy visions. The figure climbed up next to me and I recognized Noodle's face, even in my state. She laid down next to me and faced me. I grinned stupidly at her.

"Hi." She rolled her eyes and smiled at me. I could see things better close up, farther away and everything blended together. She reached over and stroked my hair away from my face. For some strange reason, my hair was florescent green.

"How do you feel?"

"Great! Like I've been tellin' yeh! Yew didn't 'afta worry- I like the way the lights are on yeh'r nose." She raised an eyebrow at the last part.

"You are so high."

"I know. I'm going to be in 'ell tomorrow."

"Probably. You sure you aren't going to throw up or something?" I smiled at her, feeling more relaxed than I ever had.

"Promise, love. Fit as a fiddle… 'cept, I'm not really sure I can move my legs." I will never know if it was the drugs I had taken or the alcohol she had taken that made me see her grin so devilishly at me. And I'll never know what made her say what she did next.

"Would you be opposed to… me taking advantage of you tonight? Just for my birthday?" My eyes popped open. The drugs were fading away slowly and leaving a dead sort of comfort in their place. My head was clearing and I didn't feel so flu-like anymore, but I was definitely locked in place. Of course, that could have also been from the way Noodle was staring down at me. She didn't wait for a reply, not that she would have gotten one. She was a smart girl, she could probably tell what my answer would have been by the way I hungrily kissed her. I felt her hand slide down and reach for my belt buckle. I grunted as my vision suddenly cleared and I was very aware of her presence everywhere. Her hands, her hips, everything. I reached up and ran my hands up her thigh and tugged her hemline up her hip. She pulled away and sat back. I was panicking that she had changed her mind, but the look she gave me told me to just shut up and enjoy the ride. The next thing I knew, Noodle was sending me to heaven without me even being able to move.

…

I had almost completely forgotten about the bracelet in my pocket until the next morning when Noodle was searching around for her dress and came across my pants on the floor. She pulled it out, most of the beads on, but a few scattered around on the floor. She picked them up and quickly strung them on, no big deal. I tried not to scowl as she accomplished in three seconds what I had been trying for three days to do. She brought it over to me where I laid on the bed. I had regained use of my body some time ago, but Noodle had made it nearly impossible for me to ever want to leave the bed. I sat with my hands behind my bed, watching as she perched next to me.

"What's this, Toochi?"

"Wull, it was yeh'r birthday present. Until I realized I can' string jewelry fer the life of me." She smiled and slipped it on.

"I love it!"

"Do yeh? Not too tacky?" She shook her head.

"Of course not. It's wonderful. It matches my eyes."

"Yeh don' say?" She smiled and leaned in.

"Thank you." She punctuated this with a kiss on my nose. "How do you feel this morning?"

"Awright. I had a bit of a 'eadache, but tha' disappeared after that last one."

"Glad I could be of service." Noodle remarked, dryly. I smirked, very pleased with myself and how the day was starting out and stretched an arm out as an invitation to curl up with me.

"Noodle, love… I hate to ask this, but… what happened last night?" She smirked and came over to lay beside me. She took my hand and wove her fingers through mine.

"What's the last thing you remember?" I wracked my brain.

"The last fing I remember… is yew attacking me last night." She scoffed.

"It was hardly 'attacking'. From the looks of things, you were just as willing as I was."

"The victim is never to blame."

"Shut up." I chuckled. We sat in silence for a bit more.

"Seriously though, I didn't do anyfing stupid, did I?"

"Do you remember taking drugs from a strange man?" I thought and shook my head. That sounded like something I would do, but I couldn't place the event. Noodle sighed, "2D, I think we've just discovered the other side of date-rape drugs." My expression must have been funny, because Noodle burst out laughing. Date-rape. And I thought I only needed to warn Noodle about that.

"Wull, wotever, I guess. Did yew 'ave a good birthday at least?" She nodded peacefully.

"Oh yes, the later part of the evening was really what made it special though." I glanced down at her, she was cuddling up to my side and running her finger down my chest. I heard my breath hitch as she moved to lean over me.

This girl was going to be the death of me.

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